Connector elements are attached to belt ends of a conveyor belt so as to then establish an overlapping connection by way of said connector elements such that the latter can be coupled by means of a rod that penetrates the connector elements. The belt ends of the conveyor belt are interconnected on account thereof.
Connector elements can be of various designs. Connector elements which are connected directly to the conveyor belt by adhesive bonding are known, on the one hand. Connector elements, disposed in a U-shaped manner, are connected to the conveyor belt on averted sides of the conveyor belt. These connector elements are composed in particular of plastics.
Other known connector elements are composed of metal. Said connector elements are configured as wire hooks, for example, which are interconnected by means of a transverse wire. These wire hooks, in the case of an initial position that is opened in a U-shaped manner, are positioned relative to the belt end, and the two legs of the respective wire hook are then positioned on top of one another, wherein hook tips that are located at the end of the legs penetrate the belt when said hook tips are closed by bending.
A non-metallic connector element is described in PCT Application Publication No. WO 2010/121360 A1. A metallic connector element, and a method for attaching the latter to the belt, is known from European Patent Application No. EP 2 101 080 A2.